Retractable writing implement



Sept. 23, 1952 F. M. AlMES 2,511,343

RETRACTABLEWRITING IMPLEMENT Filed July s, 1948 INVENTOR FRANCIS M. AIMES AT'l oRNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a. [f I I n 2,611 4 'f I RETRACTABLE WRITING IMPLEMENT Francis M. Aimes, Nassau, Y, assig'norto' Imperial Pen &7 Pencil 00., Inc., Nassau, N. Y., a

corporation of Ne'wYork I 7 .Application July s, 1948, seriainmtasvo' This invention relates to writing implements, such as pens and pencils. -Mo='re particularly, the invention deals with devices or implements of this kind wherein the writing element can be normally housed withi'n'the casing of the device and extended to writing position, means being provided to retainthe device in said writing position. The novel features of the invention will bebest understood from the following descriptions when taken together'with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of'the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters each of the views; and in which:

Fig. I is a longitudinal sectional view through a writing implement made according to my invention, with parts of theconstruction shown' in elevation, and with parts broken'awafy; and

Fig.2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, showing parts in'a diiierent position.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I haveshown a writing implem'ent'in the form of a pen. More particularly, what is known as the ball-point type of pen. In the drawing, represents a 'ball point writing'unit or'element' having a ball writing point 6, the element being slidably" mounted in a tubular body comprising a section I and tubular casing 8. The casing portion '8- has a threaded coupling 'engage-- ment with the section 1, as indicated at 9. In

4 Claims. (01. Ice-42.03;)

' the corresponding end 23' ofI-the sleeve I I.

It will-be seen "that an annular chamber 22 is formed between'the end ll of the sleeve ID and In this chamber, the ball or lock'element 19 is ar ranged for free movement; Thepen, as seen'in Fig. 1 of the drawing, is in its normal retracted.

position-with the ball-point 6 disposed inwardly of the end I. of. the section. When it is desired to extend the writing element 5 toproject the ball-point 6 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the implement is moved into the vertical position illustrated in Fig. 2, and the plunger or button I? is. depressed to its fullest upwardly until the hall or look element 1 9 strikes the lower surface 26 of the endwall 23, as shown threaded engagement with the otherend of the I casing- 8 is a sleeve I0 internally threaded to receive a supplemental sleeve i l' in which a button type plunger [2 is slidably mounted. The plunger l2'is fixed to a cylinder or body l3, which has a sliding mounting in the sleeves H] and H and extends into the casing 8. g

The element '5 is detachably coupled with the cylinder'or body I3, as indicated at M. Mounted on the element 5, between the cylinder is and the inner end of the section 1, is a coil spring [5, which is tensioned to normally support the element 5' in the retracted position shown in Fig. 1. In other words, with the shoulder. i601 the cylinder abutting the inner end I! of the sleeve 6.

The inner end of the sleeve 10 has a conical or tapered wallportion l8, providing a hopper or funnel-like feed of a ball check orxlock element or member l9 onto the conical end 20 of. the cylinder [3, as later described.

Arranged between the enlarged end! I of the sleeve I l and the corresponding enlarged end l 131 of the sleeve IE3, is a ring or collar 2|. Assuming that the parts of the pen are generally composed of plastic materials, the ring or collar .2! may comprise a metal ring to take up abutment between the two sleeves and also'to provide a more neat and finished appearance at the end of the writing implement. In this connection, it will also be understood that the several parts 1 and 8,-ias well as l0, II and I2, may be composed of different or contrasting colors, so as to produce any desired decorative effect.

in full lines in Fig. 2. of thedrawing, thus looking the pen in the writing position. It will be noted from aconsideration' of Fig; 2, that the center of the ball or lock'element I9 is disposed within boundaries of the socket 20, as well as within boundaries of thebore25 in. the end 23 of. the sleeve H. element becomes permanently retained in the locked position. r In order to again retract the element 5, allthat is necessary is to move the pen to a horizontal or substantially horizontal position and to press iIi"-. wardly on the button l2, freeing the ball or look element 19 to drop into the chamber 22, and thus upon releasing the pressure, the element 5 willthe operation of the pen or writing implement is very simple, the only factors to be kept inmind is, that the implement must be moved into a substantially vertical position to bring the'lock element l9 into positionfor locking the parts in extended position, whereas the parts can be returned to the normal retracted position shown in Fig. .1, by; tilting the pen sufficient to release the ball or look element [9 after spring pressure on the ball has been released. 1

The button l2 and body I3 can collectively be regarded as a plunger with which the element 5 is directly coupled. In other .words, these parts are joined to operate as a single unit.

Havin nfully described my inventionywhat- I clatizin as new and desireto secure by Letters-Paten -s: t

-1.; A device of the class desm'1bed,.ecoum'i isiiig Thus, the. ball or look an elongated tubular body, a pair of sleeves arranged one within the other, the outer sleeve being mounted in said body, a writing element slidably mounted in the body and movable into retracted and writing positions, said element including a cylinder part movable in the outer sleeve, said element being normally contained within the boundaries of said body, a plunger slidably mounted in the inner sleeve and protruding from the end of said sleeve and directly coupled with said cylinder part by a reduced portion, a coil spring engaging said body and part to normally support the element within the other end or said body, wall portions of said sleeves, together with the cylinderpart and reduced portion of the plunger forming an annular chamber around said part and reduced portion of the plunger, and a ball of such size as to permit free movement thereof longitudinally and circumferentially in said chamber, said cylinder part having a ball'engaging, circular, conically recessed end surrounding the cylinder part, the outer sleeve having a conical recess exposed to said chamber for guiding said ball into the conical end of said cylinder part, said ball being adapted to-be wedged between said conically recessed end ofsaid part and the wall portion Of the inner sleeve in supporting said element in extended writing position with respect to said body against the action of said spring, and said spring retracting said cylinder part when said ball is released from said wedged position. I

2. An implement of the class described, a tubular casing having a section at one end, a pair of inner and outer sleeves at the other end of said casing, said sleeves having inner end wall portions arranged in spaced relationship to each other, a writing element slidably mounted in the section, said element having a cylinder part fixed thereto and slidably mounted in said sleeves, said part joining the element in a reduced stem, said stem forming, within said sleeves, an annular chamber having a'recessed bottom wall, said cylinder part having a conically recessed end adapted to register with the conical bottom wall of said chamber, a ball of such size as to be freely movable in said chamber around said stem and adapted to be guided by said recessed bottom' wall onto said conically recessed end when said wall and said end are in registry, said cylin-' der part being movable toward the end wall of the inner sleeve to retain said ball in a position between the conically recessed end of said cylinder partand the end wall of the inner sleeve to retain the writing element in extended writing position with respect to said section, and a coil spring between said section and cylinder part normally retaining said element in retracted position with respect to said section when said ball is released from its said retained position and moves into said annular chamber and tensionally supporting said section in said writing position when said ball is in its said retained position.

3. An implement of the class described, a tubular casing having a section at one end, a pair of inner and outer sleeves at the other end of said casing, said sleeves having inner end wall portions arranged in spaced relationship to each other, a writing element slidably mounted in the section, said element having a cylinder part fixed thereto and slidably mounted in said sleeves, said part joining the element in a reduced stem, said stem forming, within said sleeves, an annular chamber having a recessed bottom wall, said cylinder part having a conically recessed end adapted to register with the conical bottom wall of said chamber, a ball of such size as to be freely movable in said chamber around said stem and adapted to be guided by said recessed bottom wall onto said conically recessed end when said wall and said end are in registry, said cylinder part being movable toward the end wall of the inner..sleeve to retain said ball in a position between the conically recessed end of said cylinder part and the end wall of the inner sleeve to retain the writing element in extended writing position with respect to said section, a coil spring between said section and cylinder part normally retaining said element in retracted position with respect to said section when said ball is released from its said retained position and moves into said annular chamber and tensionally supporting said section in said writing position whensaid ball is in its said retained position, and a button fixed to saidcylinder part and projecting through one of said sleeves for manual actuation of said element into extended writing position.

4. A writing implement of the class described, comprising a casing having a section at one end and a button-type plunger at the opposite end, a writing element slidably mounted in said section and movable into retracted and writing positions, a cylinder part fixed to said element, said plunger having a reduced portion coupled with said cylinder part, a coil spring engaging said part and section to normally support the element in retracted position within said section with the plunger projecting from the casing, said cylinder part having a conically recessed end around the reduced portion of the plunger, a freely movable lock member, means including a wall in the section confining movement of the lock member to an area adjacent the recessed end of said cylinder part in said positions of said writing element, said cylinder part being movable with said element toward and away from saidwall in the movement of said element to said positions, and said last named means including means to direct said lock member upon said recessed end whereby when said cylinder part moves toward said wall said lock member is retained in a position between the recessed end of the cylinder part and said wall of said confining means to retain the element, in extended writing position against the action of said coil spring, said lock member being releasable from its said position when said cylindrical part moves away from said wall, whereupon said element is free to be moved by said coil spring into said retracted position.

FRANCIS M. AIMES.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 378,897 Myers Mar. 6, 1888 501,850 Stuart July 18, 1893 1,583,718 Hudson May 4, 1926 2,398,548 Moore Apr. 16, 1946 2,449,218 Gruber Sept. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number 7 Country Date 11,609 Great Britain, Apr. 19, 1890 

